Jump to content
  • Member Statistics

    17,597
    Total Members
    7,904
    Most Online
    DAinDC
    Newest Member
    DAinDC
    Joined

Our region's extreme run


MN Transplant
 Share

Recommended Posts

So far this is tied for 13th coldest year at BWI (January and February)

At IAD, it's tied for the 8th coldest so far out of 52 years, with a January-February average of 29.7 degrees vs a 1981-2010 normal of 34.7 degrees.  It's interesting to note that the three coldest IAD first two months composites came back-to-back-to-back: 1977 (27.9), 1978 (27.0), and 1979 (27.25).  In DC, it's tied for the 58th coldest so far out of 144 years, with a January-February average at DCA of 35.0 degrees vs a 1981-2010 normal of 37.5 degrees.  The coldest DC first two months composite was 1904 (27.95), and the coldest DCA first two months composite was 1963 (31.2).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Winter precipitation this season was actually more impressive than temperature.  IAD received 12.08 inches during December 2013 through February 2014 vs a 1981-2010 normal of 8.38 inches and a 1978-79 record of 15.94 inches -- good enough for 6th all-time (relative to 51 meteorological winters there ). DCA received 12.13 inches vs a 1981-2010 normal of 8.49 inches and a 1881-82 record of 18.30 inches -- good enough for 19th all-time (relative to 143 meteorological winters in DC). 

Another thing that marked the 2013-14 meteorological winter in this area was the average daily temperature change.  At DCA, that average was 6.1 degrees, which was the highest since the 6.8 degree average daily change that occurred during the 1990-91 winter. However, 6.1 degrees is only tied for 31st all-time in DC.  During the first 29 years of daily temperature records in DC (1872-1900), the average daily temperature change during the meteorological winter exceeded 6.1 degrees twelve times, including the all-time record of 7.6 degrees during the winter of 1889-90.  That winter was also the second warmest in DC history, with an average temperature of 44.3 degrees vs 37.4 degrees this winter.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How about the number of days we have seen a trace or more of snow and how many days with snow on the ground? In Purcellville starting way back in November, I have seen snow fall like 24 days. And snow on the ground about the same number. Any records on these?

I haven't checked every year in DC, but during the 1904-05 snow season, there were 21 days with measurable snow and 16 additional days with a trace of snow, for a total of 37 days on which at least a trace fell. During that same season, there was measurable snow on the ground on 55 days and a trace of snow on the ground on an additional 20 days, for a total of 75 days with at least a trace on the ground.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BWI set a record daily low for yesterday and today, and a record monthly low this morning. 

The same for IAD, except that today's minimum of -1 only tied the all-time low for March. The other time was after the 1993 "Storm of the Century," when -1 was recorded on March 15th.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How about the number of days we have seen a trace or more of snow and how many days with snow on the ground? In Purcellville starting way back in November, I have seen snow fall like 24 days. And snow on the ground about the same number. Any records on these?

 

psstt...read three posts above yours...in a post responding to you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DCA finished February at 37.8 degrees , bringing the meteorological winter average to 37.4 there. That is 1.0 degrees below the 1981-2010 normal of 38.4. 

I should have said "1.0 degrees below the 1981-2010 average of 38.4."  For some reason, the normalization process shaves 0.2 degrees off the average at DCA, reducing the 1981-2010 meteorological winter normal there to 38.2 degrees.  For purposes of comparing the current year with the baseline, I would argue that the average is a better measure to use, but perhaps some normalization guru can explain why I'm wrong. In any event, while the 2013-14 meteorological winter at DCA was 1.0 degrees below the 1981-2010 average, it was only 0.8 degrees below the 1981-2010 normal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Further, IAD's snow total this season has exceeded DCA's total of 15.2 inches by 15.3 inches so far, putting it within striking distance of the all-time record separation of 18.6 inches set in the winter of 1992-93, when IAD recorded 30.3 inches and DCA recorded only 11.7 inches.  That season  -- also an ENSO-neutral one -- more than half of IAD's snow total was recorded in March.   

IAD has now recorded 16.0 inches of snow in March 2014, bringing the 2013-14 total to 49.0 inches vs. only 29.8 inches for DCA.  Thus, the separation of 19.2 inches has now surpassed the previous record set in 1992-93.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

38.8 inches has now fallen this season at BWI, making it the 14th snowiest season on record so far.

 

Other than the big three winters ('96, '03, '10) this has been the snowiest season at BWI since 1979, which had a 42.5 inches seasonal total.

 

Also, so far this is the 14th snowiest March on record, with 11.9 inches so far.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IAD has now recorded 16.0 inches of snow in March 2014, bringing the 2013-14 total to 49.0 inches vs. only 29.8 inches for DCA.  Thus, the separation of 19.2 inches has now surpassed the previous record set in 1992-93.

The National Weather Service has upped DCA's snow accumulation for the March 16-17 storm from 6.7 to 7.7 inches, so now the IAD/DCA snowfall separation for 2013-14 is only 18.2 inches.  So, for the moment at least, the 1992-93 snow season remains the kingpin for IAD/DCA snowfall separation, at 18.6 inches. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The National Weather Service has upped DCA's snow accumulation for the March 16-17 storm from 6.7 to 7.7 inches, so now the IAD/DCA snowfall separation for 2013-14 is only 18.2 inches.  So, for the moment at least, the 1992-93 snow season remains the kingpin for IAD/DCA snowfall separation, at 18.6 inches. 

 

The double edited it, so DCA's total was 7.2"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quite a difference between this year's and last year's astronomical winters (December 21st through March 20th) at DCA. Last year's average temperature of 45.9 degrees shattered the high record by 2.2 degrees. This year's average was only 40.4 degrees, still good enough for a tie for 29th on the all-time list, but 5.4 degrees below last year.

This season's astronomical winter averaged only 37.4 degrees at DCA, down 3.0 degrees from last year and 8.5 degrees below the record-setting pace of 2011-12.  2013-14 was the coldest astronomical winter at DCA since 2002-03 (35.8 degrees) and averaged slightly below the historical (1871 to the present) DC average of 37.7 degrees.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, this is the snowiest March Ever in the History of Dulles, displacing 92/93's 15.5.

True, and the March 2014 snow total at Dulles just increased to 19.8 inches.  Also, the March 2014 snow total at Reagan is now 12.7 inches, which is the highest March total there since 1960.  The respective IAD/DCA 2013-14 snow season totals are 52.8 and 32.0 inches, so the difference is a record-breaking 20.8 inches.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know where else to put this:

 

 

 

000
SXUS71 KLWX 261943
RERIAD

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
340 PM EDT WED MAR 26 2014

...RECORD MONTHLY MARCH SNOWFALL SET AT WASHINGTON DULLES DC...

SO FAR THIS MARCH...MONTHLY SNOWFALL IS NOW UP TO 19.8 INCHES...
WHICH INCLUDES SNOWFALL THROUGH MARCH 25. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS
MARCH MONTHLY SNOWFALL OF 15.5 INCHES TALLIED IN MARCH 1993.

A FINAL RECORD EVENT REPORT WILL BE SENT AT THE END OF THE MONTH.

$

SMZ/DH
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It may have occurred to most in this area that March 2014 was a rather up and down month.  How up and down?  Since official daily temperature records began in DC in January 1872, there have now been a total of 1707 months recorded, listing the minimum and maximum temperature for each day of each month. According to my figures, with respect to the average daily change in maximum temperature, March 2014 month was -- drum roll, please --  number one!  That's correct, with an average daily change in the maximum temperature of 12.4 degrees at DCA, March 2014 displaced long-time record-holder February 1900 (12.1).  Also, with respect to the average daily change in the mean temperature, March 2014 was number three, at 9.1 degree.  January 1916 remains the record-holder in that category, at 9.34 degrees, narrowly edging January 1950, at 9.32 degrees.  Here are the top five months in each category: 

 

Average Daily Change in Maximum Temperature
March 2014, 12.4

February 1900, 12.1

March 1934, 11.9
March 1923, 11.71
February 1918, 11.68
 
Average Daily Change in Mean Temperature
January 1916, 9.34
January 1950, 9.32
March 2014, 9.1
Febuary 1900, 8.8
March 1938, 8.7

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really interesting. 

 

Dulles appears to have finished with the coldest March on record (since 1963) with 37.4. Edged out 1984 by 0.1 by my calcs.

I agree.  DCA, on the other hand, was a not terribly cold 42.9 -- the coldest only since 1996, which also averaged 42.9.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...